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DrizztFan24
2008-10-06, 02:34 PM
Are there any spells or powers that can act as a super nova?
EX: psion tells others to run, stand in hallway and brings the place down with a blast of pure energy, saving teammates and destroying the baddies.

or any cool martyrdom/sacrifice stories? other than the pally+dragon+retributive strike story?

Xallace
2008-10-06, 02:36 PM
Phoenix Fire, from Book of Exalted Deeds. 2d6 per level massive burst of divine energy, kills the caster. Can be spontaneously cast by exalted clerics.

Always wanted to use it, personally.

AstralFire
2008-10-06, 02:38 PM
This is pretty much the only thematic reason Wild Surge and the Body Fuel feat exist. Psions and (modified Wilders, such as my variant (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=90718)) are really quite good at that.

the 7th level Sanctified Spell, Phoenix Fire I think it is, also does this very well and my Warmage/Exalted Arcanist had fun pulling a last stand with that in a crowded passageway. Waited until I absolutely was swarmed and was going to die any round, then casted.


Phoenix Fire, from Book of Exalted Deeds. 2d6 per level massive burst of divine energy, kills the caster. Can be spontaneously cast by exalted clerics.

Always wanted to use it, personally.

Thought it was 2d6 fire, half divine?

Certain PrCs, such as the Exalted Arcanist, can pick it up, and EA is one of the best and most overlooked PrCs for the warmage.

ocato
2008-10-06, 02:38 PM
Depending on how lenient your DM is, I've seen people use Telekinetic Force to rip large parts of buildings down on top of themselves/their enemies. This was, of course, assuming that the power's "max weight" was actually the amount of pounds of pressure it could apply (where that came from, I can't say. I won't even try to get into the physics of it. Lenient DMing plus convincing player=madness.). Suffice it to say that the L15 Wilder was throwing 500lbs of energy into pillars and columns, knocking them down to collapse the building ontop of himself. Granted he'd used some other power to get out in time. The whole thing was crazy.

kamikasei
2008-10-06, 02:39 PM
Jade Phoenix Mage get the ability to spontaneously combust and come back as their capstone, I believe.

There's a spell for, I think, Wu Jen which turns you into an unstoppable juggernaut but kills you when it ends, no way to avoid. (There was a thread around here a while back asking how to escape the penalty.)

Eldariel
2008-10-06, 02:41 PM
Well, not spell per ce, but I had a Crusader who decided to take them down with him - Deep Impact Greater Divine Surge for 15 Con and full Power Attack, I allowed the attack to finish (for the epic finale - he would've died from the Con-loss), he dealt around 300 points of damage, slaying the demon and saving the world. That game didn't allow Resurrection-magic (another thing I usually do - I feel "additional lives" makes PCs too easily treat their lives as expendable).

Overchannel (Psionic feat) is another one, although I find it doesn't allow enough damage. I use a variant of the feat, which allows you to improve your CL by your ML. I've had a Psion burn himself out while dropping a Dragon in a lastditch effort for 15 (for some reason, these always happen around level 16).

Xallace
2008-10-06, 02:42 PM
Thought it was 2d6 fire, half divine?

Certain PrCs, such as the Exalted Arcanist, can pick it up, and EA is one of the best and most overlooked PrCs for the warmage.

It probably is; I haven't looked at my Book of Exalted Deeds since every single member of my party took a sudden interest in being evil, so you'll have to forgive my memory.

And darnit Astral, you took my idea. The first chance I get I'm playing an EA Warmage.

Drascin
2008-10-06, 02:46 PM
There's an energy spell in the SpC, with the standard damage dice (1d6/level) that allows you to choose to double its damage if you're willing to eat it up as well without a reflex save. Not necessarily "martyr", but certainly in keeping with the theme.

Low level too, I think it's level 3.

Tokiko Mima
2008-10-06, 02:52 PM
If you use Hellfire Blast/Shield without a trick to negate the Constitution damage it's essentially like this. It's definately possible to kill yourself this way, especially if your DM rules the drain occurs for every melee/ranged attack and you like to use Divine Powered E. Glaive's with Quicken to get in a full round of 8 attacks. So my warlock quite often ends up half dead at the end of any given encounter. I got to kill a (party level+8) CR dragon and an aspect of Lolth in full combat mode this way.

Most Exalted spells can kill or incapacitate it's caster if used recklessly. Metaphysical Shapers (BoEF) can murder themselves with too much metamagic.

Hal
2008-10-06, 02:59 PM
Righteous Aura. Paladin 4. When you die, you explode in positive energy, dealing 2d6/CL to enemies (undead take double) and healing your allies for the same amount.

It lasts for 1 hr/CL, so if you're not worried about the party recovering your body, it's not a bad option.

arguskos
2008-10-06, 03:02 PM
I'm surprised no one really mentioned Apocalypse from the Sky (Sor/Wiz 9, Corrupt Spell, 1 day casting time).

It does take a day to cast, but it makes for a great capstone to a campaign. The evil army attacks, and the party holds them back long enough for the party wizard to complete the spell, turns evil (from casting the Corrupt spell), and deal everything/everyone 20d6 damage (including himself). It's a Pyhrric victory, but it'd be cool.

-argus

Chronos
2008-10-06, 03:13 PM
There's a spell for, I think, Wu Jen which turns you into an unstoppable juggernaut but kills you when it ends, no way to avoid. (There was a thread around here a while back asking how to escape the penalty.)Transcend Mortality. It doesn't do anything for your offense, but it makes you basically unkillable for (I think) 1 round/CL: You get something insane like DR 50/epic and resistance 50 to all element types, and outright immunity to most save-or-sucks. What really makes it useful, though, is that it's an immediate action to cast it, so you can wait until you're really truly about to die right that moment anyway. Of course, when the duration's about to run out, you might as well combine it with the various other martyr options mentioned here.

Zeful
2008-10-06, 03:14 PM
In the core 3.5 not many/any and I wanted the samething once so I actually made a paladin spell for that purpose.


Blaze of Glory
conjuration [Good]
Level: Pal 4
Comopnents: V, S, M, DF
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Range: Personal
Effect: 40ft radius burst eminating from caster
Duration: 1 hour/level then 1 minute/level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: None

This spell is cast when a paladin knows the end is coming. In a ritual they prepare themselves for the coming battle and prepare their soul for the afterlife and are imubed with their powers despite losing their holy symbol (a material component). When the paladin dies his body explodes in a nova of holy energy hurting evil and healing good. All evil creatures within the area of effect take 1d4 holy damage a level (max 10d4). All good creatures in the area of effect are healed by the same amount and receive a +2 sacred bonus to attack and damage rolls. Any non-spell effect that would normally keep the paladin's soul from reaching the afterlife fails as the paladin's will power escorts to the afterlife. Any spell effect that would normally keep the paladin's soul from reaching the afterlife is contested by an opposed caster check. After the effect has taken place all that is left of the paladin is a small urn with his ashes in it. The paladin having accepted his fate is no longer willing to return to the land of the living, and cannot be raised.
Material Component: A small guilded ceramic urn costing no less than 3,000gp and all of your holy symbols.

wadledo
2008-10-06, 03:40 PM
Just looked up Phoenix Fire, not as sacrificey as y'all say.
2d6 per Cl, max 40d6
Get a free resurrection after 10 minutes.

AstralFire
2008-10-06, 03:49 PM
Just looked up Phoenix Fire, not as sacrificey as y'all say.
2d6 per Cl, max 40d6
Get a free resurrection after 10 minutes.

Yeah, but with a neg level. Still, one of the better sanctified spells on the whole.

tonberrian
2008-10-06, 03:58 PM
Exalted Fury, also from BoED, kills the caster to deal current hitpoints + 50 damage to evil stuff in the in the area. Doesn't bring you back, but you can be resurrected or raised normally. Level 9 sanctified spell.

Glyde
2008-10-06, 04:00 PM
Exalted Fury, also from BoED, kills the caster to deal current hitpoints + 50 damage to evil stuff in the in the area. Doesn't bring you back, but you can be resurrected or raised normally. Level 9 sanctified spell.

This and End to Strife have always been spells that I've wanted to cast.

Xallace
2008-10-06, 04:04 PM
This and End to Strife have always been spells that I've wanted to cast.

Agreed. Of course, Apostle of Peace is just something I've been craving to play in general... somewhere between the pacifism, the massive AC, and the fact that weapons break on your skin just calls to me.